Machine for Automatically Forming, Filling, Closing and Sealing Plastic Coated Gable Top Cartons of Paperboard or the like

摘要

1,170,425. Making cartons. ILLINOIS CREAMERY SUPPLY CO., and CHICAGO STAINLESS EQUIPMENT CORP. 7 Nov., 1966 [3 June, 1966], No. 49849/66. Heading B5D. [Also in Division B8] A machine for setting up cartons of paperboard or the like from open-ended collapsed tubular elements having a thermoplastic moisture-proof coating on their inner and outer surfaces and score lines defining top and bottom closure flaps, comprises a magazine to hold a supply of the cartons, a mandrel assembly intermittently and rotatably driven, means for removing and erecting the cartons into an openended tubular form, means for feeding erected cartons to the mandrel assembly, the mandrel carrying them successively to bottom closing means comprising crease breaking, closing, and sealing stations and finally to a station where suction means strip the cartons from the mandrel and deposit them on conveyer means for moving them linearly into registration with filler and closure means. A flap heater is provided following the crease breaking means. The machine described is provided with duplicate mechanisms including two coaxial mandrel carrying assemblies 43 to process two parallel lines of cartons simultaneously. Feeding and erecting cartons.-Collapsed cartons are removed from the magazine 31, Figs. 4, 19, and erected on to a conveyer 39 by suction cups on an oscillating arm 32. A plate 36 bows the panel engaged by the caps to facilitate withdrawal. The arm 32 moves through somewhat less than 90 degrees, and as it returns a carton is erected against rollers 38. These and opposed rollers (not shown) maintain them erect while the conveyer thrusts each on to a mandrel 41. Pre-bending carton bottom.-The concave breaking mechanism 46, Figs. 4, 7, comprises for each mandrel assembly a pair of folder wings 67 each pivoted on a frame 66 and connected by a crank 68 and a link 69 to a plate 63 fixed to a transverse bar 59, which descends to cause the wings to perform the breaking operation. When the frame 66 is arrested by stops 71, the bar 59 continues downwards, causing link 69 to rotate the wings 67, which prebend the bottom flaps. The flaps are then as shown in Fig. 13. Heating carton flaps.-Hot air from a gas burner system (Fig. 15, not shown) is supplied to a plenum chamber 82, Fig. 10, mounted for radial movement in a manner similar to the crease breakers, where it impinges on a baffle plate and passes to a heater head 87. The head comprises a central element 88, Fig. 10, and two outer elements 89 positioned and shaped so that when the head moves in radially, the element 88 enters the carton and the elements 89 are adjacent the outer faces of the triangular flaps. Heated air is thus directed from perforations in the elements on to predetermined area to actuate the thermoplastic coating. A rigid wire member 91 on each of the outer elements serves to retain the flaps in their pre-bent condition. Should the machine stop, an air jet 93 (Fig. 9, not shown) is actuated to remove heat from the carton's vicinity. Bottom closing and sealing.-The heated carton is moved past a guide 96, Figs. 4, 4a consisting of two legs 97, 98, which each engage a closure flap, one leg having a greater curvature than the other in order to fold one flap in advance of the other. The carton bottom is then sealed by a pneumatically driven embossed pressure pad 101. Stripper mechanism.-In one embodiment, Fig. 14 (not shown), and Fig. 4, suction cups 104 are carried on a U-shaped bar 102, 103, fixed to two reciprocating rods 108. The suction caps strip cartons from a pair of mandrels 44 of the two assemblies and descend to deposit the cartons between dogs 121 of conveyer chains (106), (107). In another embodiment, Fig. 16 (not shown), and Fig. 17, the suction cups 138 are mounted on the piston assembly of a doubleacting pneumatic cylinder 133. In order to adapt different heights of cartons to top sealing means, the lowermost position of the suction caps and the height of the track bar 110, Fig. 4, of the conveyer are adjustable. The cylinder end is formed by a member 143 mounted on a screwed tube 142, the height of the member and thus the stroke of the piston 133 being adjustable by a handle 147. The suction is controlled by a roller operated valve fixed to a sliding rod (141), Fig. 16, which is held closed in its lowermost position by a stop attached to a rod 151 fixed to the screw 142. Filling cartons.-Cartons are moved along the track bar 110, Fig. 4, of the conveyer with a step-by-step indexing motion, and pass under top breaking, filling, defoaming, top heating, and top sealing means (not described). Several filling stations may be employed. Filler pump piston assemblies 123 (Fig. 20, not shown) may be detachable for cleaning by a releasable connection between two portions of the piston-rod.